


Research

by Hatedartista13



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-27
Updated: 2014-11-27
Packaged: 2018-02-27 04:27:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2679107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hatedartista13/pseuds/Hatedartista13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabble set before anyone enters the game.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Research

Yoshiya Kiryu had been leaning against the statue of Hachiko for nearly an hour now. To the few people who noticed him, the teen just looked like he was people watching, perhaps waiting for some friends. Occasionally he entered something into his phone. Then he saw what he had been waiting for. Two girls, a couple years older than him, walked into one of the shops with a peculiar logo outside. No one else seemed to have noticed that the pair materialized out of thin air, no one except the ashen haired boy leaning against the statue. Moments later they reappeared at the store’s entrance, one put some jewelry in her pocket while the other checked her phone. Then just like that they stepped through the door and were gone again.

They hadn’t looked freaked out but they definitely didn’t look nervous either. _Must be day three or four then._ That was when most groups started realizing they could buy clothing to increase their chances of survival. It was also when most of them learned that they could earn money through battles to purchase items with. 

It took about thirty seconds for him to find them again. They were headed back to the Crossing talking about something he couldn’t quite catch. Then suddenly a strange looking creature appeared. It was some sort of giant, red crab that began to attack the pair. For a moment it looked like the noise were no match for the team, that is until the blur appeared and dealt a critical blow to the weaker of the two. She tried to get her partner to help or at least run away but it was too late. The next attack was quick and fatal. 

Her partner cried out in grief as she ran for her life. Fighting noise was impossible alone and there was only so long a person could run around alone before they disappeared. This girl didn’t get far before a pack of wolf noise cornered her. _Well that was disappointing._

This was the world everyone else in the ‘RG’ was completely blind to. It didn’t matter if a player walked right through them, put a thought in their heads, or died right in front of them, no one noticed. He wasn’t entirely sure why he could but he enjoyed seeing into this other world, the ‘UG’. For a while he’d been eavesdropping on players and reapers, piecing together what he learned until he had a pretty good idea of how it all worked. Well, maybe he’d had a little…guidance from Mr. Hanekoma. The café owner knew more about the game than he cared to let on but Yoshiya had gotten some interesting information out of him since their first meeting. It was no secret what he planned to do with this newfound knowledge of the UG but the old man made little effort to deter the teen from his plan. 

Since the now _officially_ deceased team was gone he had lost his source of entertainment for the day. A few other teams had already been through the Crossing to complete whatever mission had been assigned, though no one had succeeded yet. He decided to go talk to Mr. H before heading home. That meant going through the Crossing. There was something about going around a spot where a player met their demise that was unpleasant. He didn’t feel any remorse for them but it did feel cold and empty. 

Opening his phone, Yoshiya dialed the familiar number to give Mr. H a heads up that he would be stopping by, more so the man would actually be there than to be polite. As always the Crossing was packed with noisy people. Someone knocked into the teen, causing him to drop his phone on the ground. He turned to yell at the offending person but the sound of his phone sliding across the ground took priority. 

“Dammit.” He bent to pick up the phone only to watch it be kicked several feet away. Again he heard the phone being kicked but he couldn’t get through the crowd fast enough to see where it went. 

Now he couldn’t hear where the phone was. There was important information on it about this other world that he didn’t want to lose, not to mention it’d be annoying to replace. Walking around hoping he saw his phone, the teen felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned around he saw a girl looking up at him with a sheepish smile. 

She was younger than he was, a couple of years maybe, it was hard to tell. In fact he wasn’t entirely sure the person he was looking at wasn’t a feminine looking boy. It didn’t help that she wore baggy clothes that were probably meant for someone larger than her. Short blonde hair was partially hidden under a black beanie with a skull on it. Strange that she should like skulls so much seeing as a smile seemed to suit her. 

“Is this your’s?” She held up his cell phone, a bit beaten up but thankfully no cracks or serious damage. 

“It is.” He held his hand out for the phone. Her fingers brushed his skin as she put the phone in his palm. It was strangely comforting. “Thank you – ?” 

“Raimu, Raimu Bito, but everyone calls me Rhyme.” She was still smiling when she offered her hand. 

He couldn’t help but smirk, she was cute and sweet. “ Yoshiya Kiryu, but I prefer Joshua.” They shook hands. 

“See you around Joshua.” 

He watched her leave until she was swallowed by the crowd. It was rare to meet someone like her. Someone who saw only the good in the world or at the very least tried to bring some good wherever they went.   
People like her never survive the week.


End file.
